ForgivenessNCT07076394
The Effects of Forgiveness Education
A study testing Forgiveness Education in people with Forgiveness, run by University of Wisconsin, Madison at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate the effects of forgiveness education. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 20 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Forgiveness
- What is being tested?
- Forgiveness Education
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 8 Sep 2025to 5 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 to 20 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- first and second year college students at Changzhi Preschool Teachers College
Who cannot join
- -
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
This study aims to investigate the effects of forgiveness education.
Read the detailed description
Participation in this study will contribute to promoting the physical and mental health of college school students, improving their quality of life, and maintaining campus and online security.
The intervention program involved in this study is to better psychological welfare.
The number of questionnaires at each testing time is 9 (pre-intervention test only has 7 questionnaires to fill in due to previously completed 2 questionnaires in the eligibility survey), and the approximate length of time it will take to complete the scales is around 40 minutes.
Updated post-intervention for clarity:
In collaboration with a counselor in Changzhi Preschool Teachers College, located in the city of Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China, the investigators will apply a Randomized Trial Group Control Group with Pre-test, Post-test, and Follow-up Design in this study.
Forty Grade-2 and Grade-3 college students will be randomly divided into groups A and B.
- Group A will undergo a 12-week forgiveness course and a 4-week follow-up wait.
- Group B will go through a 12-week wait and a 4-week follow-up wait.
For the experimental group, there will be one class per week. Questionnaires will be conducted at three time points separated by two large time periods. Levels of anger, anxiety, forgiveness, hope, self-esteem, human flourishing, and bullying among participants in both groups will be measured. In particular, the investigators will continue asking teachers about each student's bullying behavior, who was identified as showing bullying at the screening (prior to the intervention), regarding these same students at post-tests and at follow-up. This will help determine whether bullying is going down among these students.
As a crucial supplement to the survey data collection, the investigators will also refer to the semi-structured interviews in a highly proportional manner at two time points, namely T1 and T3. In other words, this study will apply mixed methods to achieve research goals.
- Conditions
- Forgiveness
- Being tested
- Forgiveness Education
- Keywords
- Forgiveness Intervention, School-Bullying, Anger, Welfare, Welfare, College Students
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Forgiveness EducationBehavioural
The curriculum will apply the textbook of "Forgiveness is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope" written by Dr. Robert Enright.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Forgiveness Education | Experimental | classes delivered once a week for 12 weeks Receives: Behavioral: Forgiveness Education |
| Control Group | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Flourishing Scale Score
8-items scored on a 7 point likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) for a total possible range of scores from 8 to 56 where higher scores demonstrate a person with many psychological resources and strengths.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Social Desirability Scale Score
33-item true or false survey where the score is the sum of statements assessed to be true. Scores range from 0-33, where higher scores indicate higher social desirability.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Score
10-item measure scored from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). After accounting for several reverse-scored items, scores are summed from 10 to 40, higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anger Score
5-item survey scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always) for a range of scores from 5 to 25 where higher scores indicate increased anger.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anxiety Score
8-item survey scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always) for a range of scores from 8 to 40 where higher scores indicate increased anxiety.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Herth Hope Index Score
12-item survey, scores range from 12 to 48 where higher scores indicate higher hope.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI-30) Short Form Score
EFI-30 surveys 3 subscales for forgiveness: affective, behavioral, cognitive. It is scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), total scores range from 30-180, where higher scores indicate increased levels of forgiveness.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Illinois Bully Scale Score
The Illinois Bully Scale is composed of three subscales: bullying, fighting, victimization. Mean scores are from 1-5 where higher scores indicate increased involvement in bullying, fighting, or victimization.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale Score
This survey measures 4 dimensions of bullying: verbal, physical, social, and cyberbullying. Mean scores range from 1-6 where higher scores demonstrate more frequent victimization.
Measured: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jul 2025
- Study start8 Sep 2025
- Primary completion5 Mar 2026
- Study completion5 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ForgivenessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Wisconsin, MadisonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Robert D Enright, Principal investigator, University of Wisconsin, Madison
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07076394
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024-1790
- Other IDs
- A173000, Protocol Version 12/2/24
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Jul 2025
- Last updated
- 27 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Forgiveness Education
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07076394
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024-1790
- Conditions
- Forgiveness
- Keywords
- Forgiveness Intervention, School-Bullying, Anger, Welfare, Welfare, College Students
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Wisconsin, MadisonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 5 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to investigate the effects of forgiveness education.
Detailed description
Participation in this study will contribute to promoting the physical and mental health of college school students, improving their quality of life, and maintaining campus and online security.
The intervention program involved in this study is to better psychological welfare.
The number of questionnaires at each testing time is 9 (pre-intervention test only has 7 questionnaires to fill in due to previously completed 2 questionnaires in the eligibility survey), and the approximate length of time it will take to complete the scales is around 40 minutes.
Updated post-intervention for clarity:
In collaboration with a counselor in Changzhi Preschool Teachers College, located in the city of Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China, the investigators will apply a Randomized Trial Group Control Group with Pre-test, Post-test, and Follow-up Design in this study.
Forty Grade-2 and Grade-3 college students will be randomly divided into groups A and B.
- Group A will undergo a 12-week forgiveness course and a 4-week follow-up wait.
- Group B will go through a 12-week wait and a 4-week follow-up wait.
For the experimental group, there will be one class per week. Questionnaires will be conducted at three time points separated by two large time periods. Levels of anger, anxiety, forgiveness, hope, self-esteem, human flourishing, and bullying among participants in both groups will be measured. In particular, the investigators will continue asking teachers about each student's bullying behavior, who was identified as showing bullying at the screening (prior to the intervention), regarding these same students at post-tests and at follow-up. This will help determine whether bullying is going down among these students.
As a crucial supplement to the survey data collection, the investigators will also refer to the semi-structured interviews in a highly proportional manner at two time points, namely T1 and T3. In other words, this study will apply mixed methods to achieve research goals.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Forgiveness Education | Experimental | Behavioral: Forgiveness Educationclasses delivered once a week for 12 weeks |
| Control Group | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 20 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- first and second year college students at Changzhi Preschool Teachers College
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- -
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Forgiveness EducationThe curriculum will apply the textbook of "Forgiveness is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope" written by Dr. Robert Enright. | Behavioural | Forgiveness Education |
Primary outcome
Flourishing Scale Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
8-items scored on a 7 point likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) for a total possible range of scores from 8 to 56 where higher scores demonstrate a person with many psychological resources and strengths.
Social Desirability Scale Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
33-item true or false survey where the score is the sum of statements assessed to be true. Scores range from 0-33, where higher scores indicate higher social desirability.
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
10-item measure scored from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). After accounting for several reverse-scored items, scores are summed from 10 to 40, higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.
PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anger Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
5-item survey scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always) for a range of scores from 5 to 25 where higher scores indicate increased anger.
PROMIS Emotional Distress - Anxiety Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
8-item survey scored from 1 (never) to 5 (always) for a range of scores from 8 to 40 where higher scores indicate increased anxiety.
Herth Hope Index Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
12-item survey, scores range from 12 to 48 where higher scores indicate higher hope.
Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI-30) Short Form Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
EFI-30 surveys 3 subscales for forgiveness: affective, behavioral, cognitive. It is scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), total scores range from 30-180, where higher scores indicate increased levels of forgiveness.
Illinois Bully Scale Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
The Illinois Bully Scale is composed of three subscales: bullying, fighting, victimization. Mean scores are from 1-5 where higher scores indicate increased involvement in bullying, fighting, or victimization.
Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale Score
Time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)
This survey measures 4 dimensions of bullying: verbal, physical, social, and cyberbullying. Mean scores range from 1-6 where higher scores demonstrate more frequent victimization.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Robert D Enright principal investigator
University of Wisconsin, Madison
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Forgiveness Education in people with Forgiveness, run by University of Wisconsin, Madison at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Flourishing Scale Score (time frame: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (12 weeks on study), follow-up (16 weeks on study)). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 May 2026.